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Hanging Bank, Ecton Hill

Round Barrow(s)

<b>Hanging Bank, Ecton Hill</b>Posted by stubobImage © stubob
Nearest Town:Leek (12km WSW)
OS Ref (GB):   SK096577 / Sheet: 119
Latitude:53° 6' 57.66" N
Longitude:   1° 51' 23.59" W

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<b>Hanging Bank, Ecton Hill</b>Posted by stubob <b>Hanging Bank, Ecton Hill</b>Posted by stubob

Fieldnotes

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Top of Ecton Hill on a clear day in the Peak, for views, takes some beating. Swallow Moss, Axe Edge, the Hills of Parkhouse and Chrome, High Wheeldon fill the northern horizon. While the Wolfscote, Glutton, Narrowdale and Wetton hills dominate toward the southern one.
There Five barrows on Ecton Hill; this one, of three, on Hanging Bank being the pick of them. Excavations have left their mark but it survives as a pretty decent barrow in a Peak sorta way.
stubob Posted by stubob
5th August 2014ce

Folklore

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A Giant's Grave?

Robert Plot mentions that men's bones "of an extraordinary size" were found when a Low on Ecton Hill was opened. Apparently these bones were "preserved for some time by one Mr. Hamilton vicar of Alstonefield". Source: The Natural History of Stafford-shire", Plot, R. 1686. p.330 paragraph 109.

This is probably the low mentioned by Plot "on Ecton" in the list of lows on p.404 paragraph 21.

When Carrington opened Hanging Bank barrow on 18th May 1848 he noted that the site had been previously disturbed.

Bateman believed that this barrow must be the one Plot refers to as it is the only one of the five on Ecton that showed evidence of having previously been dug into.

There are plenty of examples from around the world of "Giant's bones" being discovered which are in fact the bones of large animals that have been misidentified - is that the case here? Maybe / maybe not - there are certainly examples of animals being interred in barrows in Staffordshire but these tend to be either smaller animals such as a dog, a pig or a polecat or they are part of an animal such as an Ox's head or antler tines. So could this just be the burial of a strapping, big warrior? Would that warrant the description "...bones...of an extraordinary size"?

It is a pity we do not know what Mr. Hamilton did with the bones he 'preserved'.
BrownEdger Posted by BrownEdger
2nd September 2014ce
Edited 2nd September 2014ce

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Peak District Mines Historical Society


You might like this link, Stubob - it's an article by John Barnatt and Garth Thomas about the evidence pointing to copper mining at Ecton Hill in prehistoric times. It's from 'Mining History' - there are lots of other editions on the website
http://www.pdmhs.com/
It must have been a significant place.
Rhiannon Posted by Rhiannon
6th August 2014ce
Edited 6th August 2014ce